Impulse generator



Oct. 9, 1951 J. c. KOONZ 2,570,693

IMPULSE GENERATOR Filed Oct. 18, 1949 Patented Got. 9, 1951 IMPULSE GENERATOR John C. Koonz Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to The 'Magnavox Company, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation ofDelaware Applicationoctober 18, 1949, Serial No. 121,980

11 Claims.

The present invention relates, to electrical impulse generators, desi ned for generating high voltage potentials of momentary duration.

It is a primary object of the invention toprovide an electromagnetic generator of simple,

sturdy and rug ed construction, wherein the impulse is produced in response to a longitudinal sliding movement of the armature, as distinsu h d fr m a tilting. rocking or pping mon. so that h coast n pole surfac s n he armature and field engage and disengage by smooth sliding motion rather than by the impact or hammering actioncommonly employed in prior art devices of thiskind Theaccomplishment of this object is of Obvious advantage in eliminating all noise incident to operation, and is additionally important in that it avoids the w ar and distortion ne essarily produc d b l ng repeated impact of the polesurfaqes as theyham mer against each other.

Possibly even a more importantadvantage of applicants construction, however, arises from the fact that since the pole. surfaces engage. and disengage by sliding rather thanhammering contact, they do not function as a stop or abutment limiting the movement of the armature. Instead, the movement of the armature is unrestricted and a c nsiderable degree of overtravel may be permitted without impairing the efiiciency of .the generator. Thus, the armature may be positively driven by heavy, powerful and fast moving machine parts (the mechanism of a recoil operated automatic gun, for example) withassurance. that the tremendous power developed by the recoil cannot damage the orking arts of the generator. Obviously it fol ows that no unusual precautions need be takento have the. Stroke of the gun parts evactly t e desired stroke of the gene.

erator, since overtravel will not in any senseim air the efiiciency of function of .the mech= anism.

It is a further object of the invention 'to proe vide an impulse generator of the general class noted above, wherein the individual par-ts are of simple form and designed in opposite identical pairs, so that the units may be manufactured and assembled with unusual production economies, yet will provide a smooth operating,-ruggedand trouble free assembly.

A present preferred embodiment of the invention is illustratedinthe drawings herein, where in:

Figure l is a plan view ofanimpulsegenerator according to the present teachings;

Figure 2 is an endvelevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a central sectional view taken on the plane of the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a central sectional view similar to Figure 3, but showing the armature of the unit in changed position.

The essential parts of the generator include an electromagnetic winding, with an armature and fieldshiftable with respect to each other to cause a rapid flux change in the winding. As shown, the parts forming the field act as the frame of the unit, and consist of two identical soft iron face plates spaced apart and bolted to a pair of permanent magnets. The plates 10 and H are of generally rectangular shape, having fiat central portions l2 and i3 terminating in opposite pairs of flatend portions L4, l5, It and I! (Figure 2). The end portions I4 and [5 are spaced apart by a rectangular permanent magnet 18, which is preferably a slug of magnetic alloy such as Alnico 'V, while the portions ,IB and ll are spaced apart by a magnet i9 of the same size, shape and material. The magnets l8 and 19 are both oriented in the same direction, as by having their north poles I8N and ISN in contact with the plate l0 (Fi ure 2)., and their south poles I88 and [SS in contact with the plate I l. Thus, the plates in and l I will be ofoppositep-olarity to each other. Prior to assembly,a coil 20is positioned between the field p ates and between the ma nets. The central portions l2 and I3 of thefieldplates la and I l are slotted, as indicatedat 2| and 22. and the metal between these slots if bent inwardly at a right angle, provides a magnetic pole at each side of each of the plates. The poles 23N and MN overhang the end of the winding 2'1, and since both of these oles are part of the plate It, they are both of the same magnetic polarity. Thatis, if we assume the permanent magnets 18 and 19 to be oriented as above stated, it will be seen that the poles ZSN and N are both of north polarity, while the poles 25S and 25S integral with the plate II will both be of south polarity. Thus, the poles 23N and 253 .form a pair at one end of the aperture of the winding 20, while the poles ZEN and 26S form a pair at the oppOsite end.

The field plates I ll and l l are bolted together as by cap screws 2-1, 28,, '29 and .30, tohold the inner faces of the plates in firm surfacecontact with the polesurfaces of the magnets, and to hold the entire unit in assembled relation. Thus, the inwardly extending poles ,23N,.24N, 25S and 26S retain the electromagnetic winding 20 in position, and each pair of these poles is held in oppositely oriented, face-.to-face relation, .but spacedapart from each other adistance which is sufiicient to provide a sliding fit for an armature extending through the aperture of the coil.

The armature, generally designated as 3!, is of smooth, regular rectangular shape on its exterior surfaces, but is of composite internal construction, including a soft iron core consisting of two end portions 32 and 33 in alignment with each other, diagonal portions 34 and 35, and an intermediate portion 36 offset from the end portions in a lateral direction. A non-magnetic filler 38 is provided on one side of the offset central portion. Similar fillers 39 and 49 are provided on the other side of the end portions, so that the exterior surface of the armature presents substantially straight, uninterrupted slide bearing s 'rfaces abutting the pole faces on each side. The the armature has, on the left side as seen in Figures 3 and 4, a face surface 4| at one end, a face surface 42 lying in the same plane at the opposite end, and a bearing surface 43 between them and in the same plane. Similarly, the offset portion 36 has a relatively longer face surface 44-45 extending almost the full distance between the poles 25S and 25S, with contiguous surfaces 46 and 41 formed on the fillers 39 and 40. These surfaces 44, 45, 46 and 4'! are parallel with the surfaces 4 I, 42 and 43, but are spaced apart therefr m sufficiently that the armature face 44-45 will slide against the poles 25S and 26S as the faces 4| and 42 slide into face-to-face contact with the poles 23N and MN.

The material employed for the fillers 38, and 40 may be of any suitable nonmagnetic material, such as one of the well known nonferrous, powdered metal materials ordinarily employed in so-called oil-less bearings. This material, common in the mechanical arts, actually consists of a nonferrous metal powder, pressed to shape and sintered, and oil impregnated. Thus, in the present case, it allows friction-free movement of the plunger within the winding and has the nonma netic property required.

The mechanism is operated by moving the plunger 3| in a quick, abrupt movement from the position illustrated in Figure 3 to that of Figure 4, or vice verse, and the manner in which this movement produces the impulse may be seen by comparing these two figures. It will be noted that with the parts in the position of Figure 3, the

poles 23N and 268 do not contact the magnetical y permeable core of the armature. Thus, the only fiux path through the winding extends from the pole MN through the face 42 of the armature, thence through the diagonal portion 34 and offset portion of the core, to face 45 of the core,

and thence to the field pole 25S. If we assume a fiux flowing from north to south, it follows that the fiux direction with the parts in this position is upward as indicated by the arrow of Figure 3. When the plunger is drawn abruptly downwardly from the position of Figure 3 to the position of Figure 4. the surfaces 42 and 45 of the armature core are disengaged from the poles MN and 258, but the face surface 4! of the armature core engages the pole 23N of the field, while the face 44 of the armature engages the pole 25S of the field. This causes an instantaneous reversal of the fiux within the winding 20, since the flux path is now downward y through the armature. The quick reversal of the fiux within the winding 2!! thus generates a momentary high potential in response to ouick longitudinal movement of the plunger in either direction.

It is to be noted. however. that the enactin o es of the field and faces of the armature, throug which the magnetic circuit through the winding is reversed, slide smoothly across each other rather than striking each other in the hammerlike action characteristic of prior impulse generators. The result is that the noise and inevitable wear incident to the hammering of prior devices is avoided, yet an instant high potential is developed. In addition, the present design allows for any required overtravel, so that the parts of the unit need not be precisely adjusted to correspond to the stroke of its driving mechanism, yet the parts cannot be damaged if the stroke of the driving mechanism exceeds the required stroke of the generator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an impulse generator, the combination, with an electromagnetic winding having a core aperture therein, of a pair of soft iron field plates,

with the opposite plates of said pair positioned on opposite sides of the winding, and at least one permanent magnet extending between said field plates whereby the field plates are of opposite polarity; each of said field plates having two pole portions of like polarity, with one of said pole portions extending inwardly toward the core aperture at one end of the winding, and the second pole portion extending inwardly toward the aperture at the opposite end of the winding; the two pole portions of each field plate lying in the same plane so that the unlike pairs of poles of the opposite field plates are positioned in oppositely oriented face-to-face relation on opposite sides of both ends of the core aperture; together with a flux reversing armature comprising a plunger extending through the aperture of the winding and slidable therein, said plunger having a magnetically permeable core including aligned end portions having two face surfaces lying in the same plane and in sliding engagement of the two like poles of one of the field plaes, an offset intermediate portion including face surfaces in slid ing engagement with the two like poles of the opposite field plate, and nonmagnetic filler portions having bearing surfaces contiguous with said face surfaces.

2. In an impulse generator, the combination, with an electromagnetic winding having a core aperture therein, of a pair of soft iron field plates,- with the opposite plates of said pair positioned on opposite sides of the winding, and at least one permanent magnet extending between said field plates whereby the field plates are of opposite polarity; each of said field plates having two pole portions of like polarity, with one of said pole portions extending inwardly toward the core aperture at one end of the winding, and the second pole portion extending inwardly toward the aperture at the opposite end of the winding; the two pole portions of each field plate lying in the same plane so that the unlike pairs of poles of the opposite field plates are positioned in oppositely oriented face-to-face relation on opposite sides of both ends of the core aperture; together with a fiux reversing armature comprising a plunger extending through the aperture of the winding and slidable therein, said plunger having a magnetically permeable core including aligned.

, end portions having two face surfaces lying in;

the same plane and in sliding engagement of thetwo like poles of one of the field plates, and anoffset intermediate portion including face surfaces in sliding engagement with the two like poles of the opposite field plate.

"3. In antimpuise "generator,"'the'icombination, with an electromagnetic"windingiiiaving a" core polarity; each of said field plates having two ipole portions of like polarity, with one of said pole portions extending inwardly toward the *core aperture at one'end of the winding, and the second pole portion extending inwardly "toward the aperture at the opposite end of'the windingfthe "twogpole portions of each'field plate lying in the "same plane so that the 'unlikelpairs of poles of the opposite fieldplates are positioned in oppositely oriented 'face-to-face relation on opposite sides of both ends of the core aperture, together with a flux reversing armature comprising a plunger extending through the aperture of the winding and slidable therein; 'said plunger having face surfaces on the opposite sides thereof in sliding engagement with the two pairs of magnetic poles of the field plates, and at least one magnetically permeable core portion extending diagonally between said opposite'face surfaces; together with nonmagnetic filler portions having bearing surfaces contiguous with said face surfaces and in sliding engagement with the poles of the field plates.

4. In an impulse generator, the combination, with an electromagnetic winding having a core aperture therein, of a pair of soft iron field plates, with the opposite plates of said pair positioned on opposite sides of the winding, and at least one permanent magnet extending between said field plates whereby the field plates are of opposite polarity; each of said field plates having two pole portions of like polarity, with one of said pole portions extending inwardly toward the core aperture at one end of the winding, and the second pole portion extending inwardly toward the aperture at the opposite end of the winding; the two pole portions of each field plate lying in the same plane so that the unlike pairs of poles of the opposite field plates are positioned in oppositely oriented face-to-face relation on opposite sides of both ends of the core aperture, together with a flux reversing armature comprising a plunger extending through the aperture of the winding and slidable therein; said plunger having face surfaces on the opposite sides thereof in sliding engagement with the two pairs of magnetic poles of the field plates, and at least one magnetically permeable core portion extending diagonally between said opposite face surfaces.

5. In an impulse generator, the combination, with an electromagnetic winding having a core aperture therein, of a magnetic field comprising at least one permanent magnet and a plurality of field plates; said field plates having two pairs of poles, with one pair of poles adjacent the core aperture at one end of the winding, and the second pair of poles adjacent the aperture at the opposite end of the winding; together with a flux reversing armature comprising a plunger extending through the aperture of the winding and slidable therein; said plunger having a magnetically permeable core including two aligned end portions having face surfaces in sliding engagement with two poles of like polarity, and an intermediate portion including face surfaces in sliding engagement with the other two poles of the field.

6. In an impulse generator, the combination, with an electromagnetic Winding having a core aperture therein, Ofa'paiir 61 sort iron field plates,

with the oppositeplates of said pair positioned on'opposite sides of the winding, and'at least one permanent magnet extending between said 'field plates whereby the field plates are of opposite polarity; each of said field plates having two pole portions of like polarity, with one of said pole portions extending inwardly toward the core aperture at one'en'd of the winding, and the second pole portion extending inwardly toward the aperture at the opposite endof the winding; the

two pole'portions of each field plate lying in the same plane so that the unlike pairs of poles of the opposite field plates are'positioned'in oppositely oriented face-to-fac'e relation on opposite sides of both ends of the coreaperture; together with V a flux reversing armature comprising a longitudinally slidingplunger extending "across both pairsof said poles, said armature including guiding means and a magnetically permeable core with an offset portion therein; the core having two face surfaces in the same plane and spaced apart from each other to slide across one pole of each of the pairs of field poles, and intermediate face surfaces on theofiset portion of said core to slide against the opposite pole of either of the pairs of field poles.

'7. In an impulse generator, the combination, with an electromagnetic winding having a core aperture therein, of a pair of soft iron field plates, with the opposite plates of said pair positioned on opposite sides of the winding, and at least one permanent magnet extending between said field plates whereby the field plates are of opposite polarity; each of said field plates having two pole portions of like polarity, with one of said pole portions extending inwardly toward the core aperture at one end of the winding, and the second pole portion extending inwardly toward the aperture at the opposite end of the winding; the two pole portions of each field plate lying in the same plane so that the unlike pairs of poles of the opposite field plates are positioned in oppositely oriented face-to-face relation on opposite sides of both ends of the core aperture; together with a flux reversing armature comprising a plunger extending across both pairs of said poles, said armature being of composite formation consisting of nonmagnetic portions having smooth bearing surfaces thereon, and a magnetically permeable core having an offset portion and a portion extending diagonally with respect to said bearing surfaces and having a plurality of face surfaces spaced apart from each other and adapted to slide across the surfaces of both of the pairs of field poles; the face surfaces of the core being contiguous with the aforementioned bearing surfaces to provide substantially continuous guide surfaces for the plunger.

8. In an impulse generator having a field comprising two pairs of magnetic poles spaced apart from each other, the combination of an armature comprising a sliding plunger extending across both pairs of said poles, said armature being of composite formation consisting of nonmagnetic portions having smooth bearing surfaces thereon, and a magnetically permeable core having an offset portion and a portion extending diagonally with respect to said bearing surfaces and having a plurality of face surfaces spaced apart from each other and adapted to slide across the surfaces of both of the pairs of field poles; the face surfaces of the core being contiguous with the aforementioned bearing surfaces to provide substantially continuous guide surfaces for the plunger.

9. In an impulse generator having a field comprising two pairs of magnetic poles spaced apart from each other, the combination of an armature comprising a longitudinally sliding plunger extending across both pairs of said poles, said armature including guiding means and a magnetically permeable core with an offset portion therein; the core having two face surfaces in the same plane and spaced apart from each other to slide across one pole of each of the pairs of field poles, and intermediate face surfaces on the oilset portion of said core to slide against the opposite pole of either of the pairs of field poles.

10. In an impulse generator, a flux reversing armature comprising a magnetically permeable core having two opposite end portions aligned with each other and having face surfaces lying in the same plane and disposed on the same side of the core; and an offset intermediate portion between the end portions and having face surfaces disposed on the opposite side of the core from the face surfaces of the end portions; together with nonmagnetic filler portions having bearing surfaces contiguous with said face surfaces to provide substantially continuous guide surfaces for the armature.

11. In an impulse generator, a field comprising two pairs of magnetic poles spaced apart from each other, an armature comprising a longitudinally sliding plunger extending across both pairs of said poles and including a magnetically permeable core having two opposite end portions aligned with each other and having face surfaces lying in the same plane and disposed on the same side of the core to slide across one pole of each of said pairs, and an offset intermediate por tion between the end portions and having face surfaces disposed on the opposite side of the core from the face surfaces of the end portions, to slide against the opposite pole of either of said pairs, and guiding means operatively associated with said poles and said armature for supporting it in sliding relationship to said poles.

JOHN C. KOONZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,290,190 Herrick Jan. 7, 1919 1,690,248 Remy Nov. 6, 1928 1,994,671 Slawik Mar. 19, 1935 2,085,721 Warnke June 29, 1937 2,445,435 Jennings July 20, 1948 

